Fried Chicken Biscuits With Red Pepper Jelly
They might sound like a labor of love, but here’s the thing: all of the components can be made ahead of time, even the fried chicken. That’s right, you can fry it the day before your party and serve it cold or reheat it in the oven (the skin crisps right back up). The homemade biscuits can be rolled out, cut, and frozen for up to 3 weeks so all you have to do is pop them in the oven and bake the day of. They’re adorably bite-sized and super light and fluffy, a nice contrast to the fried filling.
Ingredients
- Biscuits:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for serving
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Red pepper jelly, for serving
- Fried chicken
- Fried Chicken:
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
For Biscuits:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Grate butter on the large holes of a box grater directly over flour mixture, tossing to coat in flour as you go. Add buttermilk and use a fork to stir to combine (dough will be shaggy).
- Turn dough onto a work surface and fold dough on top of itself until it just comes together, about 5 times. (It’s OK if a few stray pieces don’t make it in.) Pat out dough to 1-inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a floured 2-inch cutter and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather scraps together and repeat 2 more times. (At this point, biscuits can be tightly wrapped on sheets and frozen for up to 3 weeks.)
- Brush biscuits with beaten egg and bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden and risen, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before splitting. Spread biscuits with softened butter and red pepper jelly and top with a piece of fried chicken.
For Fried Chicken:
- Split chicken breasts in half lengthwise into cutlets, then cut into 20 2-inch pieces. Place chicken in a large bowl and add onion, buttermilk, sugar, paprika, and 1 tablespoon salt; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
- Combine flour, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking dish. Working with a few pieces at a time, remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and dredge in flour (do not shake off excess). Return chicken to buttermilk, turn to coat, and dip back in flour, turning to coat and pressing to help flour adhere (it should look shaggy). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place nearby. When oil is hot, add a few pieces of chicken, being sure not to overcrowd the pan, and fry, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to rack and repeat. Serve chicken warm, cold, or at room temperature on biscuits. Chicken can be reheated on a rack in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
